I have been taking classes at a nearby center that offers a wide range of activities. I started out with tarot, because I have always been fascinated by the practice and have dabbled around the edges of it for years. I wanted to learn more. I signed up and found a warm, welcoming group of women who, after two semesters of tarot, convinced me to try the Spirit Circle they all attended, which was led by same instructor/facilitator.
I missed my first session due to COVID. But I enjoyed the next two sessions so much, I signed up for the next flight of classes (each “flight” is only 3 weeks, so this is not a huge time suck or long-term commitment). One week, the facilitator told us to bring in pictures of our pets for the next session. I haven’t had a pet since 1990, but I had photos of my cat, so I printed one off and took it with me.
We started out taking turns going around the circle, sharing things about the pets in the photos we brought. One woman, two or three people away from me, was talking about the cat she had to have put down and how guilty she felt about it (I related very strongly to that), when the facilitor asked, “Well, he was diabetic, wasn’t he?” The woman, taken aback, said, “No.” Facilitator: “Well someone’s pet had diabetes.” I raised my hand. She had no way of knowing this, so I was kind of in a “wow!” frame of mind. I mean, I may have blogged about it at some time in the past, but it would be the distant past and probably not easy to find on line.
We continued with the circle. When my turn arrived, I told the story of how I had adopted the cat. The faciltator said, “He loved those treats that come in a can or a tube.” Again, I was startled. Yes, my cat loved his Pounce treats. And Pounce treats no longer come in a can or tube, but in pouches. My cat would knock the can off the shelf whenever he wanted a treat, especially with certain people, like my brother. My brother would walk in the door, the cat would roll the can to him, begging for a treat.
I miss my cat a lot, even after 35 years. The facilitator told me he is still around me. I didn’t say anything, but this may explain the flickers of shadow I sometimes see on the edge of my vision or the sudden jostle of my mattress as if someone sat–or jumped–on the bed.
Have you ever had an experience like this? If so, please share it with me at mj@mjcompton.com
